New wayfinding signs will be in place before RAGBRAI® comes to Jefferson July 23, city administrator Mike Palmer told the county supervisors in his quarterly update Monday. The signs will be on break-away posts set in a 2’ X 5’ caisson. Prison Industries is working on the signs now.
Signs have been taken down from the former Pizza Ranch building after the Pizza Ranch corporation said another franchisee would not be coming to Jefferson. The city is in the process of hiring a contractor to remove the decorative front to expose the original storefronts. Palmer said the inside still smells of smoke “but it’s not too bad.”
That building and the building across the street are both owned by the city. Rehabilitation of 206 N. Wilson has been a very slow process. Palmer said a new concrete basement floor has been poured and that has helped eliminate moisture problems. Tuckpointing on the building at the corner of N. Chestnut and E. State St (Lawton Chiropractic) is finished. The brick will be painted or stained soon.
Three business property owners in the Main Street district have indicated interest in participating in Phase 2 of a façade renovation project. The city council has set aside up to $300,000 that will be used for grants to property owners on a 50/50 match. The projects must meet local design guidelines but will not have the constraints of Phase 1 because there are no federal funds involved. “It will be an ongoing process. People can apply at any time,” Palmer said. Funds will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
The city has applied for a $25,000 grant from Union Pacific Railroad for landscaping features on the east entryway to the city. Palmer said the first priority was a walking path to the municipal cemetery, “but this will help us get some seed money together to get that project started.” Region XII Council of Governments is assisting with the grant.
